Hamas rejects hostage deal as Gaza faces famine
Hamas has rejected further negotiations on the release of hostages until Israel halts its military campaign in Gaza, ending hopes of a new temporary ceasefire agreement as concerns grow that thousands are at risk of famine.
The terrorist group published a “Palestinian national decision” jointly with other militant factions in Gaza saying that there “should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a full cessation of aggression”. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s Qatar-based political leader, had travelled to Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials seeking to broker a new deal but the meetings ended without agreement.
Egypt and Qatar helped to negotiate the release of about 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners during a one-week truce that collapsed in
